Aftermath

"Uh..."

He looked down at the many disciples sprawled unconscious across the arena. Not a single one had been killed or seriously injured.

Only then did Wind Douluo wipe the few beads of cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath.

"Ancestor Chen Xin really went for the kill!"

"Opening with his eighth Soul Skill..."

"Did he really think these little brats were as freakish as Ning Huan?"

After muttering a few complaints, Wind Douluo casually gestured. Ning Huan, who lay unconscious on the ground after exhausting his Soul Power, rose into the air.

He flew steadily toward the high platform.

Wind Douluo himself shifted slightly, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of Ning Hao.

But before Ning Hao could offer any words of comfort, a teasing remark in a somewhat odd tone came first.

"Sect Master, it looks like you didn't recruit a genius—you brought home a little ancestor."

"..."

The moment those words were spoken, the viewing stands, where quiet murmurs had lingered, fell silent.

Everyone held back their laughter, afraid that one careless snort might make their sect master lose face.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng, especially, were still young. They kept their heads bowed, their pretty faces flushed red from holding in their laughter.

Seeing this, Wind Douluo realized he had misspoken and gave an awkward chuckle.

He hurried over to Shield Defender's side, making room.

Then he waggled his eyebrows at Sword Douluo, making the already troubled old man's veins throb.

Sword Douluo resolved then and there to give the restless old rascal a proper beating afterward.

Ning Hao was just as amused, but he felt not the slightest displeasure.

After spending decades together day in and day out, he and the three guardians knew one another far too well.

The distinction between ruler and subject had long since vanished.

They kept to proper etiquette in public, but within their own circle, they were as close as family.

He wouldn't get angry over a little harmless teasing.

Besides, Wind Soul Masters were naturally casual and not particularly steady by temperament.

Even Titled Douluo were no exception.

Wind Douluo was often beaten up for that loose tongue of his.

Ning Hao was used to it by now.

Of course, he would still remember that Wind Douluo had made him lose face in front of everyone.

The corner of Ning Hao's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly as he thought:

When Uncle Sword finally can't resist chopping Uncle Feng, I'll wait half an hour before going to break it up.

Then he turned to look at the unconscious Ning Huan, his usually shrewd eyes filled with a complicated mix of affection and exasperation.

A peerless genius joining the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was cause for the entire sect to celebrate.

It was just that the way he'd arrived was a little too rough!

Summoning the sect's founding ancestor in front of everyone—what was that about?

And Ancestor Chen Xin had indulged him, opening with a single Mountain Shifting. He'd nearly scared everyone to death.

No—he had scared them to death!

At the thought, Ning Hao forced himself to shift his gaze toward the arena.

Some of the sect's rising stars lay unconscious on the ground; others sat there dazed and vacant. Ning Hao's head spun, and darkness swam before his eyes.

These were the sect's foundations, its future pillars!

And now the genius he'd been longing for, together with their ancestor, had struck them down with a single sword!

Who could he even complain to?

In his daze, he suddenly understood how the sect's predecessors must have felt two hundred years ago, when they faced the Light and Dark Twin Holy Dragons.

That gap couldn't be bridged by hard work and talent alone.

But what was done was done. No matter how much it pained him, Ning Hao could only do his best to make suitable arrangements.

"Give the order at once: Ning Huan is to become the chief disciple of our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect."

"His treatment and everything else are to be of the highest standard. He is also to have the authority to oversee the sect, manage the disciples, and direct the elders and guardians."

"As for the other disciples who competed, double their monthly allowance and award them three months' worth of cultivation resources as recognition and encouragement."

"And..."

He paused abruptly.

When he spoke again, his tone held a hint of helplessness.

"Find a few more Spirit-type Soul Masters. They need to be clever and good with words. Have them counsel the disciples."

"Our disciples mustn't become despondent over a temporary setback."

"The sect master is wise."

The elders who received their orders bowed and took their leave, each setting about dealing with the aftermath of the competition in an orderly fashion.

Before long, only Ning Hao and the others remained on the high platform. Sword Douluo finally seized the chance to escape Wind Douluo's pestering.

He stepped forward and voiced the concern weighing on him as one of the guardians.

"Sect Master, Ning Huan summoned Ancestor Chen Xin in front of everyone today. Could that cause trouble for the sect master's branch—"

Before he could finish, Ning Hao immediately raised a hand, leaving the three men puzzled.

"Uncle Sword underestimates me."

"If it can help the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect rise again, what does a little power or prestige matter? Why shouldn't I be willing to give it up?"

"Besides, if it were some other senior, I might hesitate. But with Ancestor Chen Xin as guarantor, I have every confidence."

With that explanation, Sword Douluo and the other two naturally had no further doubts.

After all, everyone knew Chen Xin's reputation.

Some of it might have been exaggerated over time.

But in a certain sense, he was indeed more trustworthy than most.

What could you expect? Soul Masters who wielded the Seven Kill Sword were all stubborn as a mule and utterly inflexible!

Shield Defense Douluo and Wind Douluo glanced at Sword Douluo almost in unison, both thinking the same thing.

That Sword fanatic will probably treat the kid like an ancestor from now on.

Meanwhile, seeing that the three guardians were no longer concerned about the risks of power being divided, Ning Hao couldn't help sighing inwardly:

Thank goodness. Those three uncles aren't good at scheming. I talked them around.

It wasn't that he'd been lying to them.

Chen Xin was indeed the main reason Ning Hao trusted Ning Huan so completely.

But the most important point was something he hadn't mentioned at all.

In Ning Hao's view, everyone was caught up in their joy and had failed to see that the boy was no ordinary talent.

He had probably only returned to the sect for the resources, backing, and other worldly advantages it could offer.

He had no intention of usurping the sect.

Once his cultivation was strong enough, he would leave the sect sooner or later, and perhaps even...

the Douluo Continent!

But... that's exactly what I want.

Ning Hao looked at Ning Huan, who was surrounded by several healing-type Soul Masters and Ning Tian and Wu Feng. A spark flashed in his eyes.

Someone who could lead the sect to greatness without craving power—

that was exactly what the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect needed in its current predicament.

At last, Ning Hao felt much more at ease, and his familiar, shrewd smile returned.

"People can't have everything they want... Hmm? He's waking up? How is he recovering so fast?!"

Sword Douluo and the others, who had been chatting nearby, were just as astonished.

Wind Douluo could no longer hold back. He rushed over, waved the healing-type Soul Masters aside, and stared at Ning Huan with keen interest.

"Hey, kid, you're something else!"

Ning Huan: "..."

What the heck just came flying over?

Oh, Wind Douluo.

Never mind, then.

Noticing that only a handful of people were nearby, Ning Huan smiled knowingly, then rose to his feet and greeted them with great respect.

"Disciple Ning Huan pays his respects to the sect master, the guardians, and the young sect master."

"Good! You're every bit the fine young man I expected."

After looking Ning Huan over carefully, Ning Hao nodded with satisfaction.

On a sudden whim, the thought of taking him as a foster son came to mind.

But for some reason, the moment the thought appeared, the back of Ning Hao's neck suddenly felt chilly. He hurriedly abandoned the idea.

"Ahem. Just call me Uncle. 'Sect Master' sounds far too formal."

"That's exactly what I was hoping for."